Wednesday 28 October 2009

Halloween 2008


Well Halloween is nearly here. I had a Halloween Party last year and everyone came in fancy dress. We had apple bobbing, games and lots of yummy food. Daisy loved the apple bobbing, she was great at it! Even a very young Isabel came in fancy dress. I love double page layouts so here are my family Halloween layouts...

I ran out of time last week...work is just so inconvenient!
Craft Angels Week #6 challenge was Black and White so here is my entry....

Sunday 25 October 2009

I love weekends!

My weekend started on Thursday Evening at the Craft Den we had chance to have a play with some huge stamps....Those lovely gold swirls on the page above are stamps! We embossed them then decorated the design with Lynne's favourite, Pearl Pens! I recently found these photos in my Grandma's photo album. I've always had the picture in a frame at home but never realised who had taken the originals, so I borrowed them and scanned the whole set. I love them, I look so young LOL!! They were taken in 1994..... on my 21st birthday. Two months before my motorbike accident, which totally changed my life, that's another story which I may post later this year as I have scrapped that too!
A while back, we twisted Lynne's arm at the Craft Den to stock a few of the New Halloween Bo Bunny range. I couldnt resist scrapping " My little Pumpkin". I also notice Bo Bunny are having a Layout Challenge and it's a 2 page layout which I love to do so here are my finished pages. I hope you like them.

After the miserable weather on Saturday, I was praying for good weather on Sunday as my brother Gavin was running the Worksop Marathon and we wanted to go and support him. The Worksop Marathon is called the "scenic one" because it runs through Clumber park. It certainly was, there was leaves everywhere and the colours were amazing. Here is Gavin at the start of the race all ready to go.....

Here he is afterwards, relaxing with Isabel and the rest of the family. He ran it in just over 1hour 30 mins!


Thursday 22 October 2009

Never Ending Fun!


On Tuesday I attended a class at the Craft Den Lynne showed us how to make a Never Ending Card. It was great fun, lots of chatting and funny banter, I think that's why it felt like it was never endng....LOL! I really enjoyed making it, I knew I wanted to add photos to mine. So with Lynne's great instructions, I've made another.....





Ive used one sheet of double sided 12 x 12 paper, it fits really well, and you can make one card from just one sheet. I mounted the photos on a matching paper just to make the card firmer. I added photos and titles with some Basic Grey letter stickers The photos dont really show what is great about the Never Ending card so I took a video so you can see it in action!

Sunday 18 October 2009

Quilt time sewing workshop

I regularly attend a local sewing group Quilt Time, which my good friend Norma runs. This Saturday we had a guest teacher Jenni Dobson it was a Sashiko taster workshop. I love all things Japanese and have had an interest in Sashiko (Japanese Quilting) for some time now. Sashiko literally mean "little stabs" is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching (or functional embroidery) from Japan.
The workshop was excellent, Jenni was great, I learnt so much. I have had a go at Sashiko before but never understood the principles of how and why it was used. We made a Furoshiki pin cushion. In Japan a Furoshiki is a cloth used to wrap and carry items. The outer wrap is to keep your needles safe and the cushion inside is for your pins! Here is my finished item...


Saturday 17 October 2009

Scrapbooking Class

Had a great time on Thursday evening at Craft Den, we used some scrummy flocked paper that we coloured ourselves with spray inks and Glimmer Mist (one of my favourite things). I matched my colours to Isabel's pretty dress. Thanks Lynne, it was just what I needed after my first few days back at work.
I love doing double page layouts so with the remainder of the flock paper and a bit more paper from the Craft Den, I made another page! I added a bit of bling to finish them both off.




Monday 12 October 2009

First day back at work!

I thought I would start as I mean to go on....I am due in at work for 10.30 so why spoilt a habit I have developed over the last 6 months off work! A morning cup of tea, a quick read of my emails and shuffle through a few blogs whilst eating breakfast! I follow a blog called P.S I Quilt and when I saw her Halloween Table runner pattern for sale I knew I had to buy it. I have used the Moda Mad about Pumkins fabric. I finished the runner over the weekend. It only took a few hours to make, the pattern was very easy to follow.


Saturday 10 October 2009

Crafty Angels Challenge Week 4


Week Four of the Crafty Angels Challenge is Distressing. If you had asked me six month ago I would have said "Oooh no I cant tear, it won't look nice" or "No, I cant scrunch up that nice paper" but now I love it. I think distressing is my favourite thing at the moment. I love using my sanding block on the edge of photos or paper. Isn't it funny how you taste or views change. I blame it all on Lynne at the Craft Den leading me astray like that! LOL! The page above is a layout I made for our weekly scrapbooking class at the Craft Den, I think the group had great fun folding, scrunching and distressing.


This is a more recent page I made with some leftover stash from another beach layout I even distressed the embellishments on this one, which is new to me but once I start distressing I cant stop!

Friday 9 October 2009

October's Craft Den Challenge.

I handed my Craft Den Challenge in last night....October' s theme is Halloween. As I have been doing mainly sewing this week I thought I would use the scraps of Halloween Fabric I had left over. The Fabric is called Mad about Pumpkins by Moda. I layered the fabric on to Pelmet Vylene to give it a firmer background. I used Bonda Web to stick the layers together. I then used different stitches on my sewing machine to secure the layers together. I added a few pumpkin buttons and some Trick or Treat confetti! Done!

I dont have any Halloween paper so I used fabric but a little birdie tells me that the Craft Den have some of the Bo Bunny range coming in soon....I cant wait!

I thoroughly enjoyed last night's scrapbooking class, The papers we used were gorgeous, it's one of the new Bo Bunny range...totally scrummy! Thanks Lynne, I loved the layout too! For the finishing touches I added a flowery title and stamped the journalling under the photo...

I also finished my page from a few weeks ago, I spotted just what I had been looking for whilst browsing at the shop....a large chipboard no.7! So Daisy's birthday page is official finished.



Tuesday 6 October 2009

I love London.....

We took my Grandma to London at the weekend for her birthday. We had a smashing time. On Saturday we went to Borough Market, what a great place! The market stalls were very eye catching.....
I didnt realise tomatoes came in so many different colours and sizes!

Chocolate Brownie to die for!

Nuts, Nuts and more Nuts!



I loved the fruit and veg stalls! Sorry no crafting, as still recovering from the weekend!

Thursday 1 October 2009

Halloween starts here....

Its officially Halloween...its now October! Ive got all my stuff out to decorate the house! Even Big G joined in the fun!

I have a halloween quilt that I made from fabric I collected whilst in California, USA. Its old now it was made in 1998, I call it my Highway One Quilt as that was the road we followed down the coast from San Francisco thro Los Angeles to San Diego. It was around Thanksgiving time and all the houses were decorated with pumpkins...I loved it!
I also have a table runner (the bright fabric) and a wall hanging with cute pumpkin buttons on! I will take some more picture when I have time. Its my Grandma's 83rd birthday today so we are off out for lunch. We have a surprise trip to London planned for her this weekend so I cant wait to see her face when we tell her!
BJ wanted to join in....will have to get him a little outfit so watch this space!
To finish off today I though I would show you my Jelly Roll fabric "Mad about Pumpkins from Moda. How scrummy is that?? Ive decided on a design and will give you an update next week!